Ladue, MO — When these empty-nester homeowners assessed their kitchen needs for their new suburban St. Louis, MO home, they focused around how the space could be entertaining- and cook-friendly.

“He’s retired and does most of the cooking, and she’s a corporate executive, so they needed the kitchen to be designed for entertaining, too,” says Jim Howard, designer, Alspaugh Kitchen & Bath in Ladue, MO.

The couple was also looking for something that was unique with a modern flair, without being too stark.

“St. Louis is pretty traditional, and the home’s exterior architecture is fairly traditional with its shape and roof line,” says the designer. “But the home is distinctive, and our clients were open to new ideas and color palettes.”

The real workhorse of the three-room suite is the ‘dirty’ kitchen, which includes a host of appliances, floating stainless steel shelves and a stainless steel countertop with integrated apron-front sink and molded backsplash. Photos: Alise O’Brien Photography

After exploring several different options and layouts, Howard – who worked in collaboration with Kelly Johnson Design (interior designer), William D. Cover (architect) and Johnson Development Company (builder) – opted to create a suite of cooking-related spaces that includes the main kitchen, a ‘dirty’ kitchen and a butler’s pantry.

In the main kitchen, an emphasis on the view to the outside via a wall of windows on one end and a view into the great room that showcases a barrel-vaulted ceiling on the other dictated much of the floorplan and heavily influenced the decision to conceal cabinetry elevations.

“We created niches for the cabinetry, so when my clients look into their kitchen from the great room, the side elevations don’t stand out,” says Howard. “Instead they look clean and finished so we could maintain the focal points of the opening into the room, the two islands and the view to the outside.”

The centrally located islands, accented with a pair of custom drum-style pendants that hover above, are nestled in between and perpendicular to the cooktop wall and refrigeration/storage wall.

“We discussed several layouts,” he says. “But double islands, rather than one large island, facilitated traffic flow best.”

Each island features a foundation of custom cabinetry by Alspaugh Kitchen & Bath. The stepped panel design is crafted from rift-cut white oak and is finished with a warm, gray Muskoka stain. Each island is topped with polarstone Calacatta Vagli quartz, which was selected because of its resemblance to Calacatta marble.

“The quartz’s coloration works great with the cabinetry color,” says Kelly Johnson of Kelly Johnson Design, in St. Louis, MO.

Display storage was factored into the space via a trio of glass-front cabinets that include hanging pot racks for showcasing the homeowners’ array of pots and pans. The drawers beneath are customized for lids.

The outer island features a waterfall edge and is further accented by a detached raised island crafted of mahogany, which echoes the thickness of the quartz. Since it isn’t anchored or attached, it’s completely portable.

“It’s free-floating so if, for example, a caterer needs to use it as a bar in another area, it can easily be moved,” says Johnson.

The ‘working’ island is home to several essentials, including a double trash pullout with recessed paper tower holder above, an ASKO dishwasher and a Kohler sink with undersink cabinetry customized for storage. In fact, cabinet organizational accessories abound throughout the space. For instance, several of the base cabinet drawers below the wall of windows are equipped with pegs for securely storing and stacking plates, bowls and serving trays.

Display storage was also factored into the space via a trio of glass-front cabinets that include hanging pot racks for showcasing the homeowners’ array of pots and pans. The drawers beneath are customized for lids.

“They had just purchased new gourmet cookware, so we decided to display it,” says Johnson.

The cooktop wall features specialized storage as well, such as deep drawers and the stainless steel shelf that sits atop custom shallow-depth cabinets behind the Wolf cooktop. The cabinets are perfectly sized for spices, vinegars and oils. Their sliding doors are sheathed with custom-cut white glass tile that matches the backsplash beneath the ventilation hood that features non-directional stainless steel and brushed stainless steel accent bands. Additional cooking appliances, including a Wolf wall oven and steam oven, are located conveniently nearby.

While plenty of cooking occurs in the main kitchen, the real workhorse of the three-room suite is the ‘dirty’ kitchen, which is located directly behind the cooktop in the main kitchen. Two entrances – one of which features a sliding barn door with frosted glass panels that can be closed when the homeowners entertain – provide convenient access from the main kitchen or close to the garage.

“My clients wanted an area where they could bring in a chef or do a lot of food prep without making a mess in the kitchen,” says Howard.

This ‘dirty’ kitchen includes an array of appliances, including the KitchenAid microwave and dishwasher and a second Sub-Zero refrigerator. Floating stainless steel shelves, which are suspended by cables, match the stainless steel countertop with integrated apron-front sink and molded backsplash.

“Stainless steel is worry free,” says Johnson. “It also fulfills the commercial-grade kitchen aesthetic we were looking for.”

To provide continuity with the main kitchen and to simplify cleaning, the walls are clad in the same glass tile that was used behind the cooktop. The designers also repeated the warm gray cabinetry, which includes an entire wall of open, adjustable shelves for housing everything from the stand mixer to pots and pans to dry goods. A petite countertop, fashioned from marble for pastry preparation, offers additional worktop space. A floating cork floor is quiet and ‘soft’ underfoot.

“It’s also a bit more ‘friendly’ if anything is dropped,” Johnson adds.

The third room within the kitchen suite is the butler’s pantry, located with its entrance along the refrigeration/storage wall in the main kitchen. The space includes several glass-front cabinets, which feature the same warm gray tones as the main kitchen and ‘dirty’ kitchen. Additionally, it includes a countertop work space, Sub-Zero wine refrigeration unit and plenty of additional storage. ▪

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